While researching the best lunch box options for our kids, we kept coming back to one common theme: packing a zillion items into a single box is very tough. It’s why many parents opt for separate lunch boxes and snack bags (you know, just in case). The extra containers help prevent unwanted messes and wasted space but also drive up costs. Thankfully, there are a few simple steps you can take to pack a lunch box that is both functional and affordable.
Before we get started, here are a few quick things to keep in mind:
1. Use two boxes – one for lunches and one for snacks. This way, you’ll have enough room for your kids’ favourite foods, a spoon and utensils, drink cups and extra containers of yogurt or fruit. And while we’re on the topic of lunches vs. snacks … 2) Select the right size cutlery. We envisioned our kids eating their pizza rolls with their fingers but then promptly dropping them on the floor as they reached for an extra slice. Or rather, we envisioned them having the foresight to open the pizza with their fingers, put it on a napkin and then put it in their lunch box. It worked better that way!
3. Use different colours and shapes to help keep things organized – this is especially important during the summer months when you’re packing packed lunches for everyone in your family. Also, note that we liked the shape of our kids’ lunch boxes because they felt more like toys than containers to store food. (We have friends who use cool shapes like dinosaurs, butterflies or flowers.)
4. If you plan on packing lunches for more than one child, select a different pattern for each child – so serving platters will be grouped. This way, your kids will only fight over who would like to use the same one.
5. When packing your snacks, make sure there aren’t too many items that won’t be eaten at once – for instance, grapes and grapeseed crackers are great for snacking, but the first time we put more than a couple of them in our daughter’s lunch box she cried because she wanted to eat them all at once.
6. Pack foods with long shelf lives so you won’t need to pack replacements as often (think fruit bars or fruit cups). And keep in mind that kids aren’t big on eating the same thing every day. They might eat some of the same things every day, but they most likely won’t eat them all. This is where flexibility comes in handy – you want to be able to switch it up and be prepared for everything that could happen at school.
7. Pack foods with multiple servings, so there’s always a little left over in the box, so you don’t have to waste any food or money! We were surprised at how much our daughter ate and often had snacks left over.
In conclusion, there are many types of lunch boxes and food containers on the market, and all of them will work – it’s just a matter of figuring out which is best for your family. There are also many reasons why you should start using a kids’ personalized lunch box. It may be time to try this product out for yourself and see what can happen.
